The Tune of Tenderness- one of my poems that received honorary mention (NCPLS) in 2016

 

I stumbled across one of my poems (in English) that I wrote almost ten years ago, and it got into honorary mention (just after the top 3 finalists) in the prestigious Nassau County Poet Laureate Society (NCPLS) in the year 2016. That was one of the poems which was inspired directly from music (or rather a musician) so-to-speak and when I composed it (in a coffeeshop in Stony Brook, New York), I had the faintest idea that it would get accolades or get accepted. Unfortunately, I did not have any printed version or book version of that year (perhaps it may not have been released), where the poetry could be found, hence I thought now is the best time to post it and share it on my blog, especially as its already published. 

I remember when I read it during the award ceremony (when the certificate was given to the winners and the honorary candidates), I did reveal the source or the muse of my poem. I thought it's apt to share it here too. But first of all, here is the poem:

Tune of Tenderness

 

I see the way you comfort

The trembling cello.

You rock it delicately,

Gently,

Soothing its

Tense strings.

The motion-

One of calmness,

Motherliness,

Loveliness.

 

The cello,

Like the fearful child,

Disperses her fears,

Pain and hurts,

In the tunes-

The tune of tenderness

 

And I am assured-

When I come to you,

I will not be disappointed.

-Shilpi Goenka

So, as its obvious, the focus of my poem was a man playing the cello, and truth be told, I was listening to the music of the popular band -2Cellos which has two amazing musicians from Croatia, namely, Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser. I was trying to find out which particular video I listened to which evoked that emotion which I channeled in words, however, I could not locate the exact video, but I think it must have been one of these videos only (12 years ago). 

2CELLOS - Gabriel's Oboe (The Mission)

Gypsy Airs (Concert for Japan) - LUKA SULIC

2CELLOS - Benedictus (by Karl Jenkins) [LIVE at Arena Zagreb]

(88) 2CELLOS - Fields of Gold [LIVE at Arena Pula] - YouTube 

Both the musicians are so gifted and humorous too, although Luka is less funny but more on a serious note, perhaps that may have been the muse for me. I think his beauty and grace and passion inspired the emotion which I transformed into simple words, which eventually did find familiarity with the judge(s) who selected it.

                                                                           Shot of the musician Luka playing his cello...